Nitish Kumar to take oath today; programme looks like a rallying point of anti-BJP forces

In what could look like a rallying point of forces extending solidarity with Nitish Kumar, who pulled off a spectacular victory over the BJP in Bihar elections, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah will attend the ceremony.

Many Congress leaders and the party's chief ministers will attend. The Congress is part of the coalition government that Nitish Kumar will lead and four of its 27 new lawmakers are expected to take oath as ministers.

CPI(M) General Secretary  Sitaram Yechury will also attend the event as will  Akhilesh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Naveen Patnaik of Odisha. From Tamil Nadu, DMK leader M Karuaidhi is sending son MK Stalin.

However, the programme will not be bereft of the presence of  individuals representing the BJP and its allies. PM Modi, whose aggressive campaign in Bihar went in vain to reap any harvest in Bihar, has been invited for the ceremony. He has deputed Union Ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Rajiv Pratap Rudy to attend.

BJP ally the Shiv Sena is sending two Maharashtra Ministers. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray reportedly informed Nitish Kumar that he was unable to attend and would meet Nitish Kumar soon.

Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose RJD is an important partner of the grand alliance and has emerged as the  single largest party in the Bihar assembly, will be  conspicuous by his presence. His son Tejaswi, a 26-year-old first time lawmaker, is tipped to become deputy chief minister.

After the oath ceremony, the Chief Minister  will host his political guests at his residence for high tea.